Safety cranking device.



F- L. PARKMANQ SAFETY CRANKING DEVICE. APPLICATION men Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

gwuento'c WT @A% FRANK L. PARKMAN, OF HARTLAND, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO MICHAEL ST. LEDGER, OF SKOWI-IEGAN, MAINE.

SAFETY CRANKING DEVICE.

Application filed May 1, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK L. PARKMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartland, in the county of Somerset and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Cranking Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in safety cranking devices for automobiles and any and all forms of explosive engines such as used on launches and other places and it has for its objects among others to provide an improved device of this character which will prevent injury to the operator or the mecha nism should the engine kick back.

It has for a further object to provide a simple device of this 'nature'composed 'of few parts, those readily assembled,'most eiiicient in operation and not liable to get out of order.

g It has for a further object to provide a device of this general character provided with a number plate holder and a pivoted member on the top of the cranking drum adapted to be turned down so as to hold the crank in upright position and having means for attachment of a lock to prevent unlawful cranking of the car.

The device is readily applied to any accessible part and is not unsightly in appearance. V

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the numerals of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation with a portion broken away, showing my improved device applied to an automobile. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with parts in substantiallv central vertical section showing the interior mechanism, the crank being in its locked position. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 44 of Fig. 2, looking in direction of the arrows. Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged scales.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916..

Serial No. 94,639.

and the notches or teeth 6 will occur, so that as the crank handle 7 is turned the engine shaft will be rotated in the usual way. My present invention does not pertain to the ,form of connection between the engine shaft and the adjacent end of the crank 3.

8 is a stationary casing or drum designed to be attached to the front of the car in any suitable manner and within this drum, fast upon or integral with the shaft 3, is a ratchet 9.

10 is a sleeve extending outside the drum or casing and having the disk like portion 11 within the drum. To the projecting portion of this sleeve, the end 12'of the cranking member 13 is secured in any suitable manner, as by the pin 14, as seen in Fig. 2. The sl1aft'3 has a projection 15 extending into the sleeve and provided with an annular groove 16 in which work the screw-threaded pins or the like 17 held in the sleeve 10, as seen in Fig. 2, which serve to prevent endwise movement of the shaft 3 with relation to the sleeve but permit the same to rotate independently thereof.

Within the drum is a member 18 having an annular flange 19 forming a peripheral channel in which is arranged a spring 20. The member 18 has a lateral lug 21 extending into this channel, as seen clearly in Fig. 4, and which forms abutments for the ends of the said spring, as will be clear from Fig. 4.

22 is a cover plate for the open end of the drum or casing and which is secured to the latter in any suitable manner, as by the screws 28, see Fig. 2.

At diametrically opposite points within the flanged member 18 are the tapered or cam-shaped blocks 24, seen clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, and with these blocks are designed to cooperate the dogs or pawls 25, which latter are also diametrically. oppositely disposed and each mounted upon a screw or the like 26, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4:. As the sleeve is revolved in one direction, these paWls cooperate with the ratchet 9, as seen in Fig. 4, being forced to their work by the blocks 24, while in the opposite rotation the pawls arethrown out of engagement with the ratchet 9, as seen in Fig. 3. The pivots of the pawls are movable within restricted limits in the arc-shaped slots 27 in the member 18.

In operation, when the crank is turned forward, as in the-usual operation of cranking, the blocks 24 serve to lock the dogs or pawls in their engagement with the ratchet 9. It is to be understood that these pawls or dogs move with the sleeve 10 in its rotation. When the engine back fires or for V anyreason should the engine shaft 2 turn the inside of the stationary drum serves to cause the member 18 and its attached parts to be retarded in its rotation, releasing the dogs from the ratchet and letting the latter turn independently of the crank, so that the latter will not rotate and all liability of'injury to the operator is avoided. The pivots of the dogs or pawls having suflicient movement in the slots 27, as will be readily understood upon reference to Figs. 3 and a, permit the dogs or pawls to be moved in the position seen in Fig. 3 upon retro grade movement of the engine shaft and the shoulders 28 of the dogs or pawls engage in the recesses 29 at the rear ends of the blocks 24, as will be readily understood upon reference to Fig. 3.

Depending from the drum or casing is a lug 30 to which may be attached in any suitable manner a, number plate holder 31, as seen in Fig. 1. V

In order to hold the crank member 13 in its vertical position and'to thus lock the same so as to prevent cranking ofthe car, I provide a member 32 pivotally mounted at its rear end, as at 33, on a lug or projection 3 1 extending from the drum, said member beingof inverted channel form and having at its free end a vertical slot, as seen at 35, in which is received a lug 36 on the crank member 13, as seen in Fig. 2, this lug having anjopening 37 as seen best in said Fig. 2, for the reception of a padlock of any wellknown form. It will be readily understood that when this member32 is dropped into the position in which it is seen in Fig. 2

and the lock engaged in the opening 37 of the projection, the crank will be locked in its upright position and the car cannot be cranked until the lock is removed and the member 32 thrown upward so as to disengage it from the lug 36.

i From the foregoing, it willbe readily seen that I have devised a simple, efficient safety cranking device, and, while the structural embodiment of the invention as hereinbefore disclosed is what I at the present time consider preferable, it is evident that the same is subject to changes, variations and modifications in detail, proportion of parts etc., without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. I, therefore, do not wish to restrict myself to the exact construction hereinbefore set forth, but reserve the right to make such changes, variations and modifications as come properly within the scope of the protection prayed.

What is claimed as new is 1. In a safety cranking device for explosive engines, a shaft provided with a ratchet, a relatively fixed drum, a member rotatable with relation to said drum, a dog rotatable with said member for cooperation with the ratchet, and a cam-shaped member bearing directly against and cooperating with said dog to hold the same in engagement with the ratchet during the movement of said member in one direction.

2. In a safety cranking device for explosive engines, a shaft for cooperation with an engine shaft and provided with a ratchet, a relatively fixed drum, a member rotatable with relation to the drum, oppositely disposed pivoted dogs carried by said member for cooperation with said ratchet in one direction of rotation and oppositely disposed cam blocks for cooperation with said dogs to hold them in contact with said ratchet in said direction of rotation, and automatically rendered inoperative for such purpose upon reverse movement.

3. In a safety cranking device for explosive engines, a shaft for cooperation with the engine shaft and provided with a ratchet, a relatively fixed drum, a member rotatable with relation to the drum, diametrically oppositely disposed dogs pivotally carried by said member, cam-shaped blocks for cooperation with said dogs, and a spring peripherally disposed between said rotatable member and the drum to hold said rotatable member from backward rotation and release the dogs from the ratchet upon retrograde movement of the engine shaft.

4. In a safety cranking device for explosive engines, a shaft for cooperation with the engine shaft and having a ratchet, a relatively fixed drum, a rotatable part within the drum, oppositely disposed pivoted dogs movable with said rotatable part, the pivots of said dogs having limited movement in the direction of rotation of said rotatable part and blocks for cooperation with said dogs to hold them in contact with the ratchet in one direction of rotation and automatically rendered inoperative upon reverse movement of the shaft.

5. In a safety cranking device for explosive engines, a shaft for cooperation with the engine shaft and having a ratchet, a relatively fixed drum, a rotatable part Within the drum, oppositely disposed pivoted dogs movable With said rotatable part, the pivots of said dogs having limited movement in the direction of rotation of said rotatable part, blocks for cooperation With said dogs to hold them in contact With the ratchet in one direction of rotation and automatically rendered inoperative upon retrograde movement of the shaft, said rotatable member having a peripheral channel, and a tension spring Within said channel.

6. In a safety cranking device for explosive engines, a shaft for cooperation With the engine shaft and having a ratchet, a relatively fixed drum, a rotatable part Within the drum, oppositely disposed pivoted dogs movable With said rotatable part, the pivots of said dogs having limited movement in the direction of rotation of said rotatable part, blocks for cooperation With said dogs to hold them in contact with the ratchet in one direction of rotation and automatically rendered inoperative upon retrograde movement of the shaft, said rotatable member having a peripheral channel, and a tension spring Within said channel, and an abutment in said channel against Which the ends of the spring may abut.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

FRANK L. PARKMAN. Witnesses:

J. HOWARD HALEY, FRANCES L. LANOEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. '0. 

